History of Gujarat

Located on the west coast of India, the state of Gujarat is one of the most industrialized states in India. Gujarat got its name from the tribe known as ‘Gujjars’, which inhabited the region in the 1st century A.D. Indianholiday provides online information on the History of Gujarat. The rich and eventful History of Gujarat is an interesting and captivating one. Excavations at various sites in Gujarat show signs of civilization in the region dating back to as early as 3000 to 1500 B.C. Gujarat represents the area that contained the regions of the Indus valley civilization and Harappan sites. The History of Gujarat mentions that around 50 Harappan sites were excavated in Gujarat. Lothal, Rangpur, Amri, Lakhabaval and Rozdi are some of those sites from where most of the ruins were found. Thus Gujarat constitutes an important territory that unravels the history of India.According to the History of Gujarat, the Dravidian tribes were the original inhabitants of the region. It is believed that much before the Aryan occupation of Gujarat, the land had trade ties with Sumer, the Persian Gulf around about 1000-750 B.C. Rock edicts found from the Girnar hills indicate that in the 3rd century, Gujarat became part of the Mauryan Empire under Emperor Ashoka. It was during this Mauryan reign that Gujarat came under the influence of Buddhism. Gujarat History also has it that around about 150 B.C., the Bactarian Greeks led by Meander ruled over the land. During their reign, they are said to have enjoyed trade relations with Rome. The Scythians ruled over Gujarat from about 130-390 A.D. It was only after 300 A.D. that Gujarat came under the rule of the Guptas, who continued to reign till 460 A.D. After the death of Harshvardhana, Gujarat came to be controlled by the Gujjars till 746A.D. A remarkable period in the history of Gujarat is the reign of the Solankis who ruled Gujarat till 1143. Gujarat achieved its greatest territorial extent under the Solanki dynasty from the 9th century. Finally, the downfall of Solankis was triggered by Muhammud of Ghazni who attacked Somnath in Gujarat. It was during 1298-1392 that the Sultans of Delhi also began to have a sway over Gujarat. In 1411, Ahmad Shah I – the first independent Muslim ruler of Gujarat established Ahmedabad. Thereafter, the Mughals continued ruling the land for about 2 centuries till finally they were overpowered by the Marathas in the middle of the 18th century. It was during the Maratha rule that Gujarat came to divided among a number of chiefs. The History of Gujarat in India also states that the British set up their administration in Gujarat from 18803-1827. The British East India Company’s first headquarters was set up at Surat in Gujarat before being moved to Bombay. The British Raj started administering the state through local princely rulers. Finally, it was in May 1, 1960, that the present state of Gujarat was formed by reorganizing the north and west portions of Bombay state, the remainder being renamed as Maharashtra state. Today, Gujarat stands bordered by Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north east, Madhya Pradesh in the east, and Maharashtra and the Union territories of Diu, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli in the south. The Arabian Sea borders the state both to the west and the south west.